15 days of school to go.

And found this clip of some climbing in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.
Wow - but can we climb hard enough to get out of the boat?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RclkxGIzPSk

Time to get off the computer and go climbing (but it's still wet out) and maybe eat less (but its fish & chips tonight).

Oh well, the trip should be long enough to get goodish at some point.

Did someone say it was summer?

Rain, whats it good for?

On the plus side I have landed a day off work due to the excessive water falling from the sky in Sheffield. However it did take 3 1/2 hours to do the usually 20 min journey home yesterday.

Jono attempting Medusa Falls, Blacknor South, Portland.

Another surprise was that after a week of rain last week Portland proved its self once again as always being dry. The weekend trip to Jono and Claire's turned out well with top rate hosting, climbing (nowt spectacular, but out doing it) and a wander around Lulworth cove, cream teas included.

Cheese!

Claire looking for the hot chocolate somewhere under the cream

Oh, and ebay - that made me smile too. Selling old climbing gear that I no longer use for over £180 !! Ha ha ha. Must try and sell some more.

The BIG Trip (PLANS, Plans, plans)

The map shows places we will be visiting (red dots), flight routes (blue lines) and overland travel (red lines). The dots not linked indicate places we will be visiting but are unsure of how we will be traveling there (although unlikely that we will overland from Australia to the US! - we have not yet booked this flight). Click on the map for a bigger view as the dots now seem very small.

The outline, so far, is...
15th Aug. - flight from London to Beijing, China
Stay in Beijing for 4 nights or so (Great wall, Forbidden City, cycle tour etc.)
Train to Xian
Xian for 2/3 night (terracotta army)
Train to Guillan (may go to other places on route)
Boat up the River Li to Yangshou
Stay in Yangshou for 2-3 weeks (Climbing, wowing at limestone towers, relaxing etc.)
Train to Vietnam (cross boarder at Dong Dang) to Hanoi
Travel down Vietnam coast via Ha Long Bay (Climbing??)
Continue down Vietnam coast by train or bus to My Tho and Ho Chi Minh City
Fly from Ho Chi Minh City (not booked yet) to Bangkok, Thailand
Fly to Krabi (not booked yet) and Ao Nag peninsula
Ton Sai climbing (we may have been there but it was that perfect)
Diving (Ko Lanta?) etc.
Back to Bangkok for 2 days sightseeing (Golden Palace etc)
12th November - Fly to Melbourne, buy car, catch up with Mark
Melbourne - buy car, catch up with Mark
Arapiles 'the worlds best crag' for a month (this is about 3hrs? from Melbourne)
Then 2 months working in Melbourne with trips to the Grampians (climbing), Tasmania??
2 months travelling south Australia (Blue Mountains + coast)
Work in Sydney then back to Melbourne
7th April - fly to Christchurch, New Zealand
New Zealand for 2 months - ?? no plans as yet - will buy the guide book while in Australia (bungee jump, climbing, touring, etc.)
Fly back to Australia (not booked flight yet) about 1st June
Australia for 3 months - travelling abound, maybe work (if needs must)
finishing diving the Great Barrier Reef
Fly from ?? to San Francisco (flight not booked yet) late Aug. start Sept.
Yosemite - Climbing (massive walls...) for at least one month
Travel around (hire car) Grand Canyon, Las Vagas, other climbing?
Los Angeles - fly home to England November 2008.
Get jobs, move back into our house, grow old.... as if.

Messing about on the river..... (bank).

Summer has arrived... it's June and the sun has been out, yippee.

Spare time in the last few weeks has been spent down in Chee Dale both climbing and wandering around finding new places and enjoying the place with M&D.

Looking down the river from Maxis Wall, Chee Dale.

The interesting climbing bit is that you don't have to be a super hero to climb at The Embankment or surrounding area.

Last night after work Steve and I warmed up on the usual (Arachonothera Direct 6b+ and Prawnography 6c) then I moved onto the aim of the day Hungry Eyes 7a+. First time up I rested on the bolt near the top of the flake, at the crux moves, and again at the next bolt while trying to figure out the leftwards rock-over.

After a rest, holding the rope for Steve working the 7b Secret Gudgeon Society, I tied in for the second go - on the lead.

Twice I thought I was falling off. Twice I managed to keep on and make the next moves. Big move right at the top of the flake.... wow, then move left and make a rock-over...wow.. small ledge and the top... woo hoo. My first 7a+ (I think) in England - have done this grade in other counties though.



Got home by 11.30 for a cold shower (boiler broken) and bed. In the morning I was hungry (no dinner) and had red eyes (too little sleep), but I had climbed Hungry Eyes! - cheesey.